


You could be my habit

by ohhmydyos



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Best Friends, Friends to Lovers, Kissing, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:47:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26623150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohhmydyos/pseuds/ohhmydyos
Summary: “I haven’t showered for three days. I’m doing a social experiment.” Donghyuck shrugged from the ground, not even lifting his eyes from his phone screen.Mark scoffed. “You’re just being disgusting, and you know it.”Donghyuck paused his game, lifted his eyes to meet Mark’s, and slowly raised an eyebrow.“You didn’t think I was disgusting when-““Guys! I’m having a spasm on my eyelid!” Jaemin shrieked.
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee
Comments: 12
Kudos: 251





	1. Chapter 1

“I think I can smell sounds.” Jaemin croaked.

They (Mark, Jaemin and Donghyuck) were lazing around in Mark’s dorm room after the end of exam week. Their brains were fried, Jaemin had drunk 50 of his horribly strong coffees, so the sound smelling thing wouldn’t be surprising, if it weren’t for a small, much more potent, factor.

“I think your head’s too close to Hyuck’s feet.” The boy’s legs were on the bed, but his head was hanging just above the ground, right in front of the aforementioned feet. 

He lifted his torso to look at Mark, then Donghyuck.

“Shit. You’re right.” His eyes widened. “Dude, your feet stink.” And even though they stank, he returned to his previous position.

“I haven’t showered for three days. I’m doing a social experiment.” Donghyuck shrugged from the ground, not even lifting his eyes from his phone screen.

Mark scoffed. “You’re just being disgusting, and you know it.”

Donghyuck paused his game, lifted his eyes to meet Mark’s, and slowly raised an eyebrow.

“You didn’t think I was disgusting when-“

“Guys! I’m having a spasm on my eyelid!” Jaemin shrieked, turning around to show them. The middle of his eyelid was twitching up and down.

“Woah, what the fuck?”

“Yeah, Renjun told me his parents weren’t home and sent me a lovely photo and I think that’s why this is happening! Who would’ve thought you could have a spasm on your eyelid?” He rolled onto the ground.

“Wait, where are you going?” Mark asked when Jaemin started putting on his shoes.

“Renjun’s house.”

“Like, now?” Mark asked, slightly panicked, as Jaemin put on his shoes.

“Yeah, I’ve got to fuck all this energy away. See y’all later.” 

He rushed out the door, leaving Mark alone with Donghyuck and his… unique aroma.

Mark looked at the closed door, feeling like a child who lost their footing at the deep end of a pool. He could feel Donghyuck’s piercing gaze on him, and he would ignore it for as long as possible.

From the corner of his eyes, he saw Donghyuck open his mouth to speak, which could not happen in this moment.

“The eyelid thing was pretty crazy.” Mark blurted out, cutting him off.

Donghyuck rolled his eyes. “Mark.”

“That’s my name, don’t wear it out.” He threw reluctant finger guns.

Their gazes locked once again. This time, Donghyuck lifted himself from the ground, going on his hands and knees, and started crawling toward the other boy.  
“Mark…” He purred.

Mark noticed that the light from the lamp on his desk illuminated the room with an orange tone, reflecting off of Donghyuck’s nose and cheekbones. Mark could feel his heartbeat in his throat, pounding harder as he got closer. He altered between looking at his eyes, the tip of his nose, and his lips, watching the boy get each time closer, close enough to smell his surprisingly, thankfully minty breath.

“I’m not going to kiss you when you stink.” He blurted out when Donghyuck was a couple of centimeters away from his face.

A smirk slowly spread on his lips.

“So now you admit it.”

“I wouldn’t kiss you even if you smelled nice.” Mark grumbled.

“Hm, but you did already. A week ago. And you kissed me, not the other way around.” Donghyuck settled next to him. “You kissed me and you’ve been ignoring me ever since.”

Mark inhaled sharply. Of course he would notice. Mark really was stupid sometimes.

It had been exam week, but it hadn’t been their first exam week. Nothing had ever stopped them from talking to each other for an entire week. In fact, the longest they’d gone without talking to each other was during the beginning of their friendship, when they were nervous about seeming too clingy, and unsure of each other’s boundaries.

The only times they’d been together in the past week had been in cram sessions with their other friends and now, with Jaemin as the unknowing buffer. But now he was gone, and Mark was left to fend for himself.

“You smell really bad.”

Donghyuck rolled his eyes. As I said, Mark really was stupid sometimes.

“If I shower, you’re going to jump me and we’re not going to talk about anything, and you’re going to ignore me again. I stink so that you don’t notice how hot I am.” He explained, as if it were something completely normal which people did with a considerable frequency (he was right, though. The absence of his best friend during the past week, after their kiss, made him crave the boy even more).

“Cocky, huh?”

“You wish you could disagree. Now, talk.” He nudged Mark with his elbow.

Mark fiddled with his fingers, avoiding Donghyuck’s stare. “What do you even want me to say?”

“I don’t know, maybe what’s on your mind.”

“No thoughts, head empty, baby.” He giggled humorlessly.

Donghyuck sighed. 

Mark finally looked at him. He’d pulled his knees up, hugging his arms around them. There wasn’t any cockiness anymore. He looked small and frail.

“Then tell me why you kissed me.” He bit his thumb nail. Mark’s heart accelerated once again.

“I don’t know.” The thought of telling Donghyuck that, that night, he’d looked at him, seen the way his smile filled the room with life, with light, and simply couldn’t keep to himself anymore, needed to have him a little closer than before, was mortifying.

“So you’re not going to tell me anything?” He could hear the disappointment in his voice, it matched the frustration building up in his chest.

“What do you want me to say?” He spat out without meaning to.

“That you want me back. That you like me back.”

“Oh.”

Mark felt something lift off of his shoulders in that moment. His lungs filled with fresh air (and a hint of Donghyuck’s stench god fucking damnit). The corners of his mouth lifted in a smile and he coughed out a laugh.

“You smell so bad Hyuckie. Will you please take a shower now?”

“Are you fucking serious?” He shot up, shouting at Mark while pacing around the room. “I tell you that I like you and the only thing you can say-“

“I want to kiss you and hold you but I can’t because you smell disgusting, okay?” Donghyuck froze in front of him. He grabbed onto Donghyuck’s limp hand with a grin. “I kissed you because I couldn’t not kiss you. I couldn’t stop myself.” A shy smile spread on Donghyuck’s face. “I like you back, and I’ll like you even more after you shower.”

He tugged at his hand. “Shower with me, I want to kiss you as soon as possible. You have no idea how many feelings I have right now, it’s disgusting.”

“Fine.”

Mark let himself be led into the bathroom and watched as Donghyuck took his clothes off and got onto the bathtub.

“Clean yourself first, I’ll join you in a second.”

Donghyuck pouted but did as he said, washing himself very thoroughly, making sure Mark saw how well he was cleaning himself.

Mark saw, alright. He watched as the water ran down his tanned, toned body, while slowly undressing.

Only after Donghyuck finished washing his body did Mark join him, closing the curtain and pressing himself against his back, wrapping his arms around his waist immediately.

Donghyuck leaned his head back, onto Mark’s shoulder, and the boy started dropping chaste kisses on his neck, traveling from his collar bone to his jaw, then turning his head to the side and finally kissing his lips.

Donghyuck moved his hand to grasp the back of Mark’s head as their lips moved against each other’s and turned around in his arms.

Mark held him even tighter when he dropped a final kiss on his lips, pulling away with a lazy smile.

“Want me to wash your hair for you?” He caressed Donghyuck’s cheek.

“Maybe not yet. I’m going to sweat later.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I keep on kind of insulting or saying questionable things about idols, but that's how I express affection.
> 
> Also NCT 2020, that's real sexy. I think I'm going to have a crush on Sungchan, but it be like that.
> 
> If anyone who reads this is a writer, I have so many ideas and so little patience (they're weird and not well structured though), please take them!
> 
> Stay safe and sexy, children.


	2. Chapter 2

Mark hit his head on the table.

For fun, you may be wondering? No, not this time. This time had been out of frustration.

“That sounded painful.” Jeno commented from the end of the table.

“I’m going to fail everything.” Mark groaned into his hands.

It was the week right before exam week and he couldn’t seem to remember a single thing from his music theory class. So, the logical thing to do was to smash his head on a table to see if he could get it to work again, like turning a phone off and on again. You press the button, you hit your head- same thing, right?

“Shut up Mark, everyone knows you’re a creative genius.” Donghyuck grumbled. “I’m the one who’s going to fail everything.” 

He sat in front of him, wearing a lilac hoodie that seemed to engulf him. He hadn’t stopped doing exercises since they’d gotten there, and his eyes stayed on his notebook even while he spoke to them.

Mark lifted his head from the table and slouched in his chair. “You shut up, Donghyuck. You’re one of the smartest people I know, you’re going to ace your exams.”

Donghyuck gave him a pointed stare, to which Mark responded by looking the other way! (effectively missing how Donghyuck sank further into his hoodie, biting the inside of his lip).

“I’m going to do pretty well.” Jeno bragged with a smug smile when Jaemin burst through the door, coffee cup in hand.

“That’s because you’re boring.” He said, just to get the kick of wiping the smirk off his best friend’s face. 

Jeno chose to ignore the comment. “Where have you been? You agreed to meet me here at half past two.”

“Oh, I was trying to take dick pics, but the lighting in the bathroom was horrible. They weren’t artistic at all.” Mark gaped at him. “Then I got coffee from the vending machine.”

Donghyuck was all too familiar with Jaemin’s shamelessness, especially after he set him up with his friend Renjun, and Jeno had grown up with him. Nothing about Na Jaemin should’ve been able to surprise the boys, but Mark had always been too hopeful for his own good.

“We’re in the library…” Mark muttered dejectedly. 

“It’s alright, we’re all adults in here.” Jaemin settled next to Jeno and rested his feet on his legs, grinning shamelessly. “What are you guys studying?”

“I would be studying Music Theory if my brain was cooperating.” Mark whined.

“He’s being dramatic.” Donghyuck kicked him under the table. “I’m studying Organic Chemistry.”

Jaemin turned to look at Jeno. “I was doing some exercises, but I’m mostly here for moral support.” He grinned.

“You mean just being useless and rubbing your intelligence on us.” Donghyuck said.

“Eh, same thing.” He grinned. “Anyways, since I’m such a bad friend who is terrible at uplifting you guys-“

“At least you’re aware.” Donghyuck said.

“-I’m going to leave you two alone to study in peace.”

“Where are you guys going to go?” Mark asked, desperate for any kind of distraction.

“I don’t know, maybe throw rocks at Chenle? He told Renjun about the espresso enema which he promised to keep a secret, so I think it’s fair.”

Mark gaped at Jaemin again and Donghyuck snorted.

“Have fun studying, losers.” Jeno threw a peace sign and closed the door behind them.

For a while, they were in silence. Mark decided to go over some of his own projects to maybe get inspiration for his other assignments, or maybe even motivation to read his notes.

Donghyuck stayed mostly the same: reading, writing, dissociating.

Eventually, Mark got tired again and decided to watch his friend.

“Maybe you should take a break, Hyuckie.” He said after staring at him for a few (eight) minutes, in which Donghyuck’s eyes didn’t leave his notebook and he blinked approximately five times (Mark wasn’t counting, but he should’ve been- his poor corneas!)

“Huh?” His head shot up. “What? No, I need to memorize this thing.” He went back to the notebook.

“I don’t think you’ll be able to memorize anything if you can barely think straight.” Mark carefully pulled the book from Donghyuck’s limp hands. “Usually, you’d be annoying me by now.”

“You pay that much attention to me, Markie? I’m flattered.” Donghyuck grinned.

“There he is.” Mark rolled his eyes, but a big smile graced his lips.

“Since you miss me so much, to the point of interrupting my studies,” Donghyuck got up from his seat and plopped down on the chair right next to him, crossing his legs on top of Mark’s, “you could show me the songs you’ve been working on.”

“Okay.” Mark got his earphones from his backpack and handed one to Donghyuck. He picked one of the slower songs. He thought that Donghyuck should get to relax after having studied for so long.

He wasn’t nervous about showing his songs to Donghyuck anymore, he just needed to be a little careful when picking a song.

“I like it, it’s chill.” Donghyuck nodded his head to the beat.

“It’s just started.” Mark giggled.

“Yeah, but I like it already. Your stuff is always good.”

Mark was always amazed when Donghyuck said things like that. The boy was usually playful, making jokes about everyone and everything, but occasionally, especially when there were less people, he’d be more honest and gentler. 

It almost gave Mark whiplash when he first got to know him, and it hadn’t gotten any less surprising. The feeling he got when it happened, however, slowly evolved into something more tender and sweeter. Instead of having to stop his eyes from widening, he would have to stop himself from smiling like a lovesick fool.

Therefore, only the corner of his mouth quirked up.

“You know, I thought you could sing the chorus. Your voice would sound good here.”

“My voice sounds good in every song.” Mark turned his head to see Donghyuck’s gentle smile instead of a smirk. “But you know what would be better than me singing in your song?”

“What?”

“Us writing a song together.” He sank a little into his hoodie. “I don’t know, I think it would be cool if we had a song that was ours. You could even rap.”

“You always make fun of me when I rap.”

“You’re not half bad at it.” Donghyuck confessed. “It’s just funny that nerdy Mark raps. You’re spitting bars while wearing sweater vests.” Mark guffawed.

He couldn’t even be offended when Donghyuck was smiling so brightly. “You’re such an idiot.” He said with a grin.

“I complimented you!” Donghyuck laughed out.

Mark stared at his eyes, bright, brown and beautiful, at his figure engulfed by his hoodie, at his soft lips. He listened to his sweet giggles, to his sigh. He looked down at where Donghyuck’s shoulder met his chest, and back at Donghyuck’s questioning, twinkling eyes.

He felt his hand move on autopilot to Donghyuck’s jaw. His lips parted and his eyes met Mark’s.

He moved forward, catching his mouth in a gentle kiss. Donghyuck’s hand that had been hanging limply between them moved to grasp Mark’s shirt.

Mark angled Donghyuck’s face closer, kissing him more firmly, and placed his other arm around him.

Donghyuck pulled away to catch his breath and caressed Mark’s lower lip with his thumb, their foreheads pressed together. As quickly as they parted, they kissed again.

That is, until an alarm sounded from Mark’s phone. Startled, he knocked his head into Donghyuck’s and grabbed his phone hastily, checking the screen.

“Fuck, I was supposed to be on my way home already!” He said as he saw He got up from his chair and started to messily pack his belongings into his backpack.

“Wait-“

“It’s my parents’ anniversary and I promised I’d be there on time because I haven’t been home in months and I was supposed to make up to them-“

“Mark.” Donghyuck muttered.

“-my mom is going to be so pissed. My dad doesn’t care as much, but he’ll be annoyed too because I promised.”

Donghyuck rolled his eyes and breathed in. “Say hi to them for me.”

“Will do. Bye!” 

He ran out of the in the direction the parking lot, but stopped in his tracks in the entrance of the library, the situation dawning on him. 

He remembered Donghyuck’s wide eyes, his ruffled sweater, and his spit-slicked lips, and felt his throat close up.

‘Oh no, I just kissed my best friend. I kissed him and I ran out and he didn’t say anything! I can’t ever speak to him ever again! What am I going to do when he decides to cut me off? My family loves him, they’re going to curse me out for losing him just because I have stupid feelings for him! Everything’s going to shit because I’m stupid!’

Meanwhile, Donghyuck was thinking of about all the ways in which he could smash Mark’s phone to pieces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so like, maybe it doesn’t make the most sense taking into consideration what I wrote before BUT there have been times when I was in a situation that maybe seemed sweet but in my head just happened because of sexual tension?? And that’s how they interpreted it when they kept thinking about it??
> 
> Anyway, I had fun writing this and again, I'm sorry for implying weird things about idols. I will not be stopping though :)


End file.
